ARC Review: Luscious [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "Luscious" the 2nd book in her by Amanda Usen.

Product Description

Eat, play, love

Plain old ice cream just isn't going to cut it. To beat these blues, chef Olivia Marconi needs the good stuff: rich, creamy tiramisu gelato. And no place better to get it than Italy. But a fresh start is nearly impossible with Sean Kindred dogging her every move. She's been burned by his too-hot-to-handle antics before. Though there's no denying the man can still get her all fired up. Could a weeklong affair finally turn into something more lasting ... or will it all go up in flames?

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (July 3, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402262183
ISBN-13: 978-1402262180

My Review:

I highly recommend this book if you love food and like reading about a really genuinely nice guy.

Chef Olivia Marconi is tired of running her own restaurant and is still recovering from a ultimate betrayal from her ex-husband Kevin.  She runs away to Verona, Italy to work at her family inn but she finds they already a chef who seems to resent her.  Her gets her to chop up herbs on her first day there but she realizes she misses cooking for people.

Sean Kindred is her lawyer and he has business in Italy so he follows her there.  He has a secret crush on Olivia since they were teenagers and this motivates him to convince her to give them a try.   Her mama and papa don't approve and try to match her up with arrogant Alessandro the talented chef of the Marconi private restaurant.

I really enjoyed the romance between Olivia and Sean because he makes her feel beautiful, makes her open up about her feelings and to face her problems instead of running away from them.  I'm glad he didn't back down when her parents disapprove of him.

There is also secondary story lines involving Olivia's cousin with her boyfriend and Sean's younger brother making his probation court date.

4/5

Other books in series:

1.  Scrumptious

Thanks Sourcebooks for sending me this ARC to review, greatly appreciated!

ARC Review: Scrumptious [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "Scrumptious" by Amanda Usen.

Product Description

TALL, DARK & DELICIOUS

Joe Rafferty is just as mouthwatering as the food he cooks. But if he thinks he's going to waltz in and take over her kitchen, he's denser than a thick slice of chocolate ripple cheesecake. Marly has invested too much of her life in Chameleon to hand off the restaurant to someone else — especially a cocky-as-all-get-out superstar chef. But there's no denying the man knows how to light her fire. Question is: Can she have the sizzle without feeling the burn?

About the Author

Amanda Usen knows two things for certain: chocolate cheesecake is good for breakfast and a hot chef can steal your heart. Her husband stole hers the first day of class at the Culinary Institute of America. They live in Western New York with their three children and an ancient beagle.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (January 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402259824
ISBN-13: 978-1402259821

My Review:

Marlene Bennett is the pastry chef at her best friend's Olivia's restaurant Chameleon.  She catches Olivia's husband Keith in the cold room with his pants down and he is fired.  She believes this is her greatest moment that she would be the one to head up the front line.  Instead Olivia asks her best friend scrumptious Joe Rafferty to help out.

Marlene resents that Joe Rafferty is heading up the front line so she bribes a couple of her co-workers to sway the lunch customers to order steak, etc to keep him busy.  Joe also judges her by the way she acts among the restaurant men.  It takes time for them to warm up to each other.  They certainly are like oil and water but when Marlene finally thaws it's like hot chocolate.

When things start going wrong at the restaurant Joe thinks Marlene is behind them to make him look bad.  They don't realize something more sinister is behind it.

I was so glad when Olivia kicked her husband Keith to the curb but I didn't like it when she start breaking down and was thinking of letting him come back to the restaurant (even after he stole money from her).

3.5/5

Thanks Sourcebooks for sending me this ARC to review, greatly appreciated!